"Unless there is persistence and perseverance it is impossible for one to acquire jnana. Yoga practice is, as it were, treading on a razor's edge. It is not only a long and arduous task but also a perilous one. Constant vigilance is an indispensable requisite for it" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"It is very important to have a clear mind. Only a clear mind can understand what is right or wrong and preform right action. Even God or Guru's words are completely misunderstood if the mind is not clear. Hence a clear mind is very important for Sadhana" (Mathru Sri Sarada, 2012 New Year Greeting)

"Attachment is the cause of all our worries. A detached man is always in solitude. Do not think about the future and put yourself in trouble. Try to be calm in the present and leave the future to the shoulders of Sri Ramana Bhagawan" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"For realization, effort is needed, but grace is also required, and grace is more important. The mind can move towards the self, but it cannot reach it. Ramana Maharshi used the analogy of a candle and the sun. The candle is the mind and its light cannot be compared to the light of the sun, which is the Self. If a candle travels towards the sun, the heat of the sun will melt it before it gets anywhere near it. So it is with the mind; the mind cannot reach the Self, but if it makes the attempt, the Self will destroy it" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"Swamy: A living human Guru is essential for Self-realization. It is the Self, acting through the medium of the Guru, which finally destroys the ego, and only the human Guru can act as the medium. When the Guru gives up his body, the Self can no longer use him to destroy devotee's egos.Question: Ramana Maharshi realized the Self without any effort and without a Guru. How was this possible?Swamy: He was a very advanced soul who had almost completed his sadhana in his previous lives" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"Question: What is the role of the Guru?Swamy: The Guru is the Self in the Heart of each devotee. When the devotee makes an effort to be without thoughts or to surrender to the Self, the Guru within responds. He watches the efforts made by the devotee and transmits the grace of the Self. This grace purifies the devotee's mind and pulls it towards the Self. Eventually, if the devotee is ripe, the Self pulls the mind into the Heart and destroys it" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"There is no question of distance for the Self. You are never away from the grace of the Self. On the other hand, it is good to be in the presence of a Guru because grace is channeled through the form of the Guru. If the Self is everywhere, why did people flock to see Ramana Maharshi during his lifetime?" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"Question: If one does not have a Guru, how far can one progress thorough individual effort?Swamy: If you make an effort the inner Guru will help you to make progress, but it is very difficult to realize the Self by the inner Guru alone. Trying to reach the Self by your own efforts is like digging a well to get a drink of water. If you have a Guru, the well is already dug and you can draw water from it at any time" (Lakshmana Swamy, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"What does Sadhana mean? Doing Sadhana means you need to see your faults and correct them. You need to accept your faults in the Guru's Presence and humbly beg for forgiveness. Until the Guru forgives, you need to keep begging" (Mathru Sri Sarada, 2015 New Year Greeting)

"When devotees first come to the Guru's Presence they leave aside their attachments and show much devotion and interest to serve the Guru. But Guru knows about their qualifications. After some time, they get bored and want to leave. Because of desires hiding inside, the ego rises in some devotees with no qualifications and they can be caught by Maya. Most importantly, Women, Wealth, and Power are Maha Maya. These are very dangerous things. People caught by these three things don't know what they are doing. When anyone is caught by these, it spoils them and causes them to rebel against the Guru. Once caught, it is very difficult for them to realize that they are stuck. Only Guru's Grace can save them, otherwise they will remain stuck. To save them, Guru punishes the devotees with a show of anger. If they really love the Guru, they will understand that Guru's anger is itself Guru's grace, and this will bring them out of this bad state" (Mathru Sri Sarada, 2015 New Year Greeting)

"People ask for grace to realise the Self, but the grace of the Guru is given in measured quantities, and the quantity never exceeds the devotee's capacity to assimilate it" (Mathru Sri Sarada, "No Mind, I Am The Self")

"If you love one person more than another this is not true love; it is an attachment created by desire. To love all things equally, seeing the Self in all of them, is true love" (Mathru Sri Sarada, "No Mind, I Am The Self")